MD2 Notebook: Seton Hill Hits Its Benchmark

Matt Delmonico (above) scored
three goals, not only helping Seton Hill knock off Mercyhurst, but
snapping the Lakers 36-game regular season winning streak, a
21-game home regular season winning streak, and a 20-game
conference winning stretch. (Dave Miller)

One of the questions asked of Brian Novotny in the wake of Seton
Hill's 10-7 victory over Mercyhurst on Saturday was whether this
was the biggest win in the program's history. For a lot of teams,
the question would be somewhat melodramatic, but the Griffins are
in just their ninth year of existence. It's a legitimate query.

"I said in my first season getting the first win in program
history was probably the biggest," said Novotny, of the Griffins
15-12 triumph against Division III Cazenovia in 2006 – the
only win that first campaign.

"And in recent memory, there have been a lot of big ones, but
this one is important because it almost seems like every chance to
beat Mercyhurst has slipped away from us," Novotny continued.
"We've had some competitive games over the years and we had a game
four years ago where it was a one-goal game and Mercyhurst went on
to win the national championship. That was one we thought we could
have won.

"There have been some others that have been really close and
we've never been able to close it out or to take that final step
and beat them. It's a benchmark in that regard. We have a lot of
respect for Mercyhurst and Coach Ryan and to beat a team that is as
well coached and talented as they are, that's always a
benchmark."

The three-goal differential gives the impression that this was a
mildly comfortable win, but it was anything but. After the first 23
minutes, it appeared Seton Hill might be in serious trouble,
trailing 5-2 with the last three Mercyhurst goals coming via the
man-up.

"When we were playing even strength, we were even with them and
maybe out-playing them in some regards during those stretches,"
Novotny said. "But then we got a three minute non-releasable stick
penalty on our faceoff guy. They got a quick goal. Then the next
faceoff we got a procedure so we were two-man down and they scored
quickly again. We were digging ourselves a whole. In the second
quarter we had a chance to clear the ball twice and two times in a
row we threw it away on the offensive side of the field."

It would be panic time for a lot of coaches and teams,
especially going against a team that as clinical as the Lakers.

"There wasn't a lot of urgency on my end or on the team's end,"
countered Novotny. "We felt very comfortable in the game. We knew
that we had to stay cool, calm and collected and we had to get some
stops and get the ball to the offense. They calmed down and got
some big plays on the offensive end that tied the score and then
with 13 seconds left in the half, Matt Delmonico sticks one that
puts us up at the half. Not only did we overcome a pretty big
deficit, but overcame it and then took the lead at the half."

The 4-0 run over the final 6:07 of the first half sent the
Griffins into the locker room with the 6-5 lead, but Novotny didn't
get the sense that he had Mercyhurst on the ropes. It was the
opposite, really.

"I actually think Coach [Chris] Ryan likes to be in that
situation at halftime," said Novotny of the Mercyhurst coach. "I
don't know how many one-goal games they had last year, all the way
up to the final four game against Limestone, which was an amazing
comeback. And we've been in that situation with Mercyhurst before
when we've been up on them at the half, and then the third quarter
starts and they usually come out and do very well. We talked about
setting our intensity level for the third quarter as high as we
could. Once we started to build on our lead in the third quarter,
that's when the guys really started to believe."

They were able to build the lead thanks to a defensive unit that
held Mercyhurst scoreless for a stretch of nearly 32 minutes
– from the 7:34 mark of the second period to the 5:36 mark of
the fourth. In the second half, the Lakers managed to get just two
shots on the Griffins net. Novotny credited junior goalie Brady
Lawrence (8 saves) and sophomore close defender Josh Albo for the
defensive success, but also gave a nod to the offense, which
controlled long stretches of possession that threw Mercyhurst off
its rhythm.

Now the Griffins are in the catbird seat. Not only are they
essentially assured of hosting the ECAC conference tournament
– they'd have to lose twice in conference to even bring it
into doubt – but they have to be considered the top seed in
the South at this point.

Everything can change within the course of a week, however.

"After the game, it was a pretty festive environment in the
locker room and on the bus ride," Novotny said. "It was a fun ride
home. But everyone understands where we are at on our schedule and
what looms next for us is Limestone next weekend. We can celebrate
it for a little while, but we'll have to move pretty soon and get
ready for the next one."

Wheeling's Fruitful Florida Foray

After a turbulent offseason that was marked by the murder of
senior midfielder Kevin Figaniak and the hiring of Kevin Dugan as
the new head coach, Wheeling Jesuit finally got back on the field
this week. With their former teammate still heavy on their minds,
the Cardinals rolled to three victories on their swing through
Florida.

It started with a comfortable, 14-5 win over Lynn on Monday,
followed by an impressive, 9-6 triumph over Saint Leo on Wednesday
and was capped off by a thrilling, 12-11 overtime victory against
Florida Tech on Saturday.

"We knew we were going to need a huge effort against Saint
Leo's, so when Lynn came out in a zone we were pretty content to
pass the ball around and save our legs," Dugan said. "We didn't
force the issue or pressure as much as we would have if we had a
week off after the game. They won face-offs, have a very talented
young goalie and had a good game plan to keep us from running away
from them. Against Saint Leo, we had a really tough time adjusting
to the pace of the game in the first quarter. Saint Leo has a very
good team speed and it took us a quarter to settle down. I was
really proud of the mental fortitude and poise our team showed in
the face of some first quarter adversity."

The Cardinals were helped by the play of FOGO Evan Hodel, who
bounced back from a miserable night against Lynn (3-of-16) with a
10-for-19 performance against the Lions. "St. Leo had been winning
over 75 percent of their face-offs and Evan went out there and was
a fearless, scrappy competitor," Dugan said. Hodel was instrumental
in the win over Florida Tech, as well, snagging 18-of-27 draws,
including the only one in overtime.

The opening success was a good thing for the team, but Dugan saw
enough that needs to be worked on before the Cardinals head to
Missouri for the ECAC opener against Lindenwood on Friday.

"We need to clean up a lot of the 'in-between-the-lines'
scenarios," Dugan said. "Our transitions from offense to defense,
and defense to offense, need to be cleaner."

The 3-0 beginning was also a comforting agent for a team that
still mourns the loss of Figaniak.

"We have done a lot of things to honor and remember Kevin,"
Dugan said. "Some are little things on helmets or shooter shirts,
but the thing I try to remind our guys is that the biggest way to
honor anyone that you care about that you have lost is to make your
time count. Have a conscious gratitude for the gift of each moment,
and by doing that, and by living and playing with passion, that is
how you will honor your friend. We said a nice prayer to Kevin
after the Saint Leo game, and I think our guys walked off the field
filled with his spirit and a special Holy Spirit. He is definitely
not forgotten and his life is an incredible source of inspiration
to the team."

Lacrosse Magazine's Player of the Week

Dylan Lefebvre, Sr., A, - Seton
Hill
Lefebvre scored two goals and dished out three assists in the
Griffins road upset against Mercyhurst. With Seton Hill trailing,
5-2 midway through the second, the Saskatchewan product sparked an
8-2 run to end the game with a goal and then dished out his three
helpers during the string.

Bracket Watch

Slides & Rides

- Merrimack's loss to Limestone will be a tough one for the
Warriors to swallow. Merrimack dominated in shots (44-24), ground
balls (52-30), faceoffs (13-of-18) and held the Saints to just
14-of-25 in the clearing game, but still lost, 8-7. Some of the
credit goes to Limestone goalie Patrick Sheridan, who made 12 saves
in the neutral site game held in Towson, Md., but the Warriors
didn't take advantage of their chances. They went 1-for-8 on the
man-up and shot a dreadful 16 percent. Mike Morgan and his guys can
take some solace in the fact that they were able to statistically
dominate a team like Limestone, but they are already a step behind
Northeast-10 rival Le Moyne, which beat the Saints last
weekend.

- Is Lake Erie in trouble? Well, the 0-2 swing to Florida wasn't
an optimum start to the season, and there is certainly cause for
concern, especially after the Storm got their doors blown off by
Tampa, 19-8 on Saturday. However, it's still plausible that LEC can
rally and get back into the NCAA tournament picture. It will
probably mean finishing the last 10 games with nine wins, which
will mean a road victory over Mercyhurst or Seton Hill. It's
certainly doable, but it will mean Greg Stocks and Co., will have
to fix a lot of holes before next Saturday's game with
Pfeiffer.

- There's no question that Chestnut Hill has played one of the
toughest – if not the toughest – schedule in the
country so far, and the 1-3 start to the season has been the
result. In the old Division II and old ECC, the postseason would be
out of the question, but the Griffins still have a shot at a
satisfying finish. They are now in the race for the fourth spot in
the inaugural ECC tourney. Three of the spots would appear to be
accounted for (LIU Post, Dowling, NYIT), but there is a race for
that last bid. Chestnut Hill is competing with Molloy, Mercy and
Roberts Wesleyan for the slot and with all three upcoming on the
schedule – Molloy is next Saturday – the brutal early
schedule could pay dividends. And if the Griffins do find their way
in, they will be an experienced bunch no one wants to see.

- Roberts Wesleyan improved to 4-0 in its third season in
existence after tripping Saint Rose in triple overtime. Nick Wolak
struck for the game winner in the 71st minute for the 10-9 victory.
Sophomore Dom Cianfarano continued his torrid pace, netting four
more goals, giving him 22 markers and five assists in four games
– a staggering 6.75 points per game. The competition level
increases this week with a home date against LIU Post on Saturday,
however the Redhawks held their own against the Pioneers last year
on the road, bowing, 7-5.

- There are two huge games coming up on Tuesday. The most
obvious one is the LIU Post-Adelphi contest in Brookville. That
tilt will be give the committee some solid seeding material when
they select the field in May. The other match-up will be between
Dominican (Calif.) and Pfeiffer. Both teams are on the outside
looking in at an NCAA berth, but this is a key game for the
evolution of the WILA and western lacrosse. A win by the Penguins
would be a statement victory for a league that is fighting
geography for a seat at the table.

- Congrats to Florida Southern head coach Marty Ward, who was
named to the Iroquois National training
roster...congrats to Limestone head coach J.B. Clarke
for picking up his 200th career victory in the win over Merrimack
on Sunday...Saturday's game between Dowling and Le Moyne in the
Carrier Dome will be one of the marquee games of the week in all
divisions. Both the Lions and Dolphins coasted to victories over
the weekend...Notre Dame de Namur finished their Florida swing with
a 22-6 loss to Saint Leo, but they did grab a win over Lynn
midweek...Colorado Mesa dispatched with Adams State, 11-5. The
Mavericks head to Florida in two weeks for their chance at making a
statement.